Monday, January 8, 2018

A Deadly Fashion Interview and Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Kate Parker back to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Kate writes the Deadly Mystery series. DEADLY FASHION is the third, and latest, book in the series.

Kathy: In DEADLY FASHION Olivia Denis enters the world of French fashion and haute couture. Are you interested in fashion, either in the past or today's trends?

KP: I love the fashions of the late thirties, especially as seen in Hollywood movies. The drape of the dresses and the hats - marvelous. I've always loved hats. It's a shame the only hats I see are ball caps on men.

Kathy: What is your favorite aspect of fashion in Olivia's world of pre-war London?

KP:The drape of the dresses. It was a bias cut that created that look. And the hats! I love cloches and fedoras. Everyone dressed their best, from the chimney sweeps to the king.

Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

KP: Coco Chanel's life story influenced my portrait of Mimi Mareau, famous French designer. She made her own fortune, if you ignore the help of some lovers. She took up with a pro-German British duke. She designed for some Hollywood movies. I used this and then created Mimi, moved her to London and gave her a secret.

Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Olivia?

KP: Olivia's next adventure, following DEADLY FASHION closely in time, will be DEADLY DECEPTION. Olivia's strained relationship with her father will be sorely tested when she has to clear him of a murder charge. Worse, the corpse is a long dead friend, come back to life, only to be murdered.

Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?

KP: I'm a pantster. If I try to plot out my stories, then I know what happens and I no longer want to write it. The magic is gone. I'm partway into a story before I find out who did it. Since I like to rewrite more than I like to write a first draft, correcting for changes in the plot are no problem. This is not the most efficient way to write, but it works best for me.

On a side note, I'm also a pantster when it comes to cooking. I can't follow a recipe without experimenting. My family tells tales of terrible dinners.

Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing, especially for a new release. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?

KP: My favorite part? Doing blogs and interviews. And I like to send out a rare newsletter with an attachment for a free short story or other giveaway or discount. My least favorite part? Speaking in front of a group. You can hear my knees knocking in the back row.

Kathy: Will you share any other upcoming books?

KP: The next one, out this spring, is one I've been working on for a couple of years. Called THE KILLING AT KILDAIRE HOUSE, it features a female sleuth who's a milliner in Edwardian London. There's my love of hats again, along with a love of the first automobiles. It's a mix of the stage version of MY FAIR LADYand the old children's book, MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE.